Live, Laugh, Love Necklace Giveaway
Have you been to the Animal Rescue Site Store? My sister pointed it out to me, and I bought a few gifts from there this year. They have cute animal related gifts, and the proceeds help pay for food and care for needy animals!
I bought one of my girlfriends this “Live, Laugh, Love” hoop necklace and they sent me two for the price of one!
You know what that means – it’s Giveaway Time!
The necklace is super cute in person. I have one that my sister got me that is very similar. Only it says “Sisters, Before, Misters.” HA! Just kidding. That would be funny though, right?
It says, “Love Me, Love My Cat” and then the third hoop has paw prints on it. Here I am wearing it, along with my live fur wrap:
The only downside to the necklace is that I play with it all day long. Ha.
Live, Laugh, Love Necklace Giveaway Rules
- To enter the giveaway, leave a comment telling me about your favorite piece of jewelry.
- This giveaway is open until 5:00 PM CST on Wednesday December 22. I will use random.org to select the winner. I will announce the winner on Thursday December 23.
- This giveaway is open to all readers.
2010 Running Meme
J (Morning Runner) tagged me for a fun running/holiday meme. Fill free to respond in your blog or in the comments. Here are the questions:
- What are you most proud of accomplishing in 2010?
- What are your running goals for 2011?
- What is your favorite race?
- What is your favorite holiday guilty pleasure?
- What is your most embarrassing running moment?
What are you most proud of accomplishing in 2010?
Coming back from three stress fractures to run a marathon. So, not the marathon itself, but the recovery and fact that I had to start over with running in July and get up to 26.2 miles in October. Fun, fun times.
What are your running goals for 2011?
I have a few:
- To be injury-free so that I can
- Run at least one race a month (for fun)
- Meet new friends in the Grayslake Running Club
- Run with my existing running friends!
- And… PR in the half marathon (a long shot I had to throw in)
- Okay, and to run 1000 miles (another long shot)
What is your favorite race?
Really, any race run with friends (or family!), especially if it has a goofy theme, like Rotary Santa Run or Corn Maze 5K.
I do have to say, I like the Round Lake Frosty Footrace (5K), because it’s a small event, and I’ve placed in my age group the last two years running it! Yeah, fake self-esteem booster!
That’s my serious face, folks.
What is your favorite holiday guilty pleasure?
Being lazy. Just hanging out with family/friends and being indulgent. Also – eating a meal made by someone else and NOT having to clean it up. Yeah, that makes me sound like a brat since a) Steven always cooks for me and b) jeez, couldn’t I help clean up? But, it’s nice when someone else does it. There, I said it.
What is your most embarrassing running moment?
This is really hard to answer, because I am not easily embarrassed. I have been the only one to run in costume, accidentally pooped myself, peed on myself (also accidentally), and taken a wrong turn in a half that I was walking… and none of these things embarrassed me.
One time I was running with a friend and accidentally let out a small fart (it was right after lunch) and said “excuse me.” I felt kind of embarrassed, but not really.
Oh wait, I just asked Steven and he remembered something I was embarrassed about – that time I accidentally pooped myself, I went inside to use the bathroom at my aunt’s house and knocked a porcelain decorative sandal off her toilet and broke the sandal. I felt bad*. But she was really cool about it.
What are your answers? Respond in the comments or on your blog!
*Hmm, I still wasn’t embarrassed, I just felt bad/guilty! Whatever.
Yay Facebook/Running Away Multisport!
I’m always talking about how I like to follow* (well, “like”) businesses on Facebook because they share sales, special events, do contests and so on – it’s useful information that I might not otherwise know about! Do you “like” (follow) your favorite business on Facebook?
Today, I am especially happy that I follow “like” Running Away Multisport, a local running/tri store. I happened to log in to Facebook and notice they posted a contest – if you were the first person to identify the item in the image below, you would win it:
Can you tell what it is?
…
…
…
It’s a Nike+ Sportband!
I was the first person to guess it right and won it! Yay! Thanks Running Away Multisport (RAM)!
If you’re local, check out RAM’s Racing page – they host a lot of fun running events. Last year I walked their North Shore Half Marathon and had a lot of fun. Maybe I can run it this year! *Fingers crossed*
*It’s not Twitter, I realize. I am kind of off Twitter for awhile. It was too much for me.
Shadow Box
I didn’t mention how Erin gave me my new RoadID on Saturday night – she had it pinned to the center of a Shadow Box (which was wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with a bow)! It was so clever and creative. I should have taken a picture to show you! But I was too anxious to get a closer look at my new RoadID. Ha ha.
Anyway, here is the empty shadow box!
The first thing I did when I woke up Sunday morning was start to put together memorabilia from the Chicago Marathon to put in the shadow box.
Did you know that the Chicago Tribune printed the names and finish times of everyone that finished in under 6:30? I made sure to get my hands on a copy the next day! I don’t see my name in print that often. I copied my name and finish time, and put a red box around it, to put in the shadow box.
At first I had a really boring layout, that looked a bit cluttered and didn’t allow any “shadows,”* so I reworked it with Steven’s help. Ta da:
Much better.
We decided to put it in our office, next to our bookcases. Before:
After** (excuse the change in lighting – it was dark outside):
Yay! I love it! I have never had my achievements on display like that, and am really excited about it. Right now, all of my bibs and medals are hanging in my closet:
(Below is a view that shows the left side of the above photo – there is a huge overlap. And yes, I put the real bib in the shadow box but photocopied a version for my closet!)
It’s fun for me to see them each day, but I can’t really bring people in to my closet to say, “Hey, look at these!” Ha ha.
What achievements do you have on display in your home? Have you ever put together a Shadow Box?
I have my diploma*** up in our office. If you look at the first picture of the shelves, you can see it all the way in the very back corner, on the top of the shelves. We also have our sky diving certificates on the filing cabinet, but I don’t really think of that as an “achievement.”
Hmm, this reminds me – has anyone had one of those “race shirt” quilt things made for them? I want to do something with my race shirts. I have too many and can’t bear to throw them away.
*This may only make sense in my mind.
**I should make note that Steven did all of the work hanging it and was very sweet in helping me with this on Sunday!
***If you click on this link, scroll down to the second post.
About those Champion C9 tights…
Yeah, about those…
So, I mentioned earlier today that I really like the Target Champion C9 running tights because they are warm, but to buy them in a smaller size because they run large.
I. WAS. WRONG.
I was at Target today, and decided to pick up another size medium. I held them up and thought “No way in hell those are fitting,” so I bought a size large.
Wow. They fit so well. Ha.
Here I am wearing my size “Medium”:
I checked the tags and my first ones really are marked “medium.” They are the wider ones in the photo below. The pair above (or underneath) are the larges.
So I think I really needed an XL? Me so confused.
What matters is, my “mediums” fit and I like them.
Have you ever bought mislabeled clothing?
Lately, I have noticed in the stores (specifically Kohl’s) that everything seems to be on the wrong hanger. We kept looking for smalls and every hanger marked small was actually an extra-large or large top. Frustrating.
But these “mediums” are marked that way in the pants and were on a medium hanger. I remember being in awe in Target when I tried them on and they fit. Ha. Clothes are funny sometimes.
Training Week 61
Day 421 | December 13, 2010: 3 m run + strength
How is it that I feel like I can run forever outside, but I struggle to go a few miles on the treadmill?! I ran three miles at 6.0 mph (1.0 incline). I originally wanted to run 5 miles outside, but our sidewalks are covered in ice. I even thought about running in the street, I was so desperate to run outside… but that’s not safe in the dark (in my neighborhood). Steven reminded me that I should be grateful we have a treadmill – he’s right! I just don’t know why I can’t stand to run on the treadmill now. What changed? Two years ago, I ran on it all winter long! Now I struggle, and feel too hot and constricted.
Do you reluctantly use the treadmill? Or do you prefer it?
Strength + Stretch (done during my lunch break):
| 1 Rope Pushdowns: 3 x 15 @ 30 lb | 5 Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb |
| 2 Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb | 6 Biangular Lat Row: 15 @ 45 lb, 2 x 15 @ 60 lb |
| 3 Seated Leg Press: 15 @ 90 lb, 15 @ 110 lb, 15 @ 130 lb | 7 Biangular Chest Press: 15 @ 30 lb, 2 x 15 @ 50 lb |
| 4 Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb | 8 Lat Pulldowns: 15 @ 45 lb, 2 x 15 @ 60 lb |
Day 422 | December 14, 2010: yoga
I did 20 minutes of easy yoga before bed.
Day 423 | December 15, 2010: 3 m run
First Yak Trax run of the season:
They sure are good for traction in the snow (not on the ice), but the extra friction caused by wearing them? Ugh.
I ran to our neighborhood park and ran a few loops. I thought the park trail would be all covered in ice and snow, but only patches were, so I ran a lot on the snow covered grass next to the loop (as to not ruing the Yak Trax by running on the black top). I only lasted 3 miles in that.
I wore my new Champion C9 running tights (only available in XXL on line – they run really large – I bought a medium, and am normally a large) that I got from Target a month or so ago. They must have a different lining because they kept my legs really warm (under pants). My other tights are really sheer compared to these new ones.
I recommend them for cold weather running… if you can find them. I wish I had two pairs!
Distance: 3.0 | Start Temp: 12° | End Temp: 10° | Time: 30:18 | Avg Pace: 10:05 | 1: 9:45 | 2: 10:21 | 3: 10:09
Day 424 | December 16, 2010: rest
Instead of working out, I went to the Grayslake Running Club fourth quarterly meeting. I am not a member (yet) but wanted to get a feel for the club – I have been thinking about joining for quite some time! Everyone was very nice, and one guy gave a presentation on the exhilaration of running in the winter. When we left, I told Steven, “Those are my people! They speak my [running] language!” I signed up for a yearly membership as soon as I got home. I am excited for my first run with the group.
Day 425 | December 17, 2010: rest
Day 426 | December 18, 2010: 5 m run
The sidewalks in our neighborhood are pretty icy:
so I ran in the street. Which really hurts my ankles. Does it bother anyone else’s ankles to run in the street?
I guess I should just be happy that the street aren’t entirely covered in snow and ice!
Distance: 5.0 | Start Temp: 16° | End Temp: 18° | Time: 51:17 | Avg Pace: 10:14 | 1: 9:51 | 2: 10:26 | 3: 10:21 | 4: 10:19 | 5: 10:15
Day 427 | December 19, 2010: 5 m run
Notice something new in my outfit?
Look closer!
My very own RoadID!
Erin gave it to me for Christmas! I have been asking for a RoadID for a few years now. I have a dog tag I was using, but this is much better! And I love the motto that Erin came up with “Run Strong, Think Big.” Thank you Erin!
I went back to the neighborhood park to run 5 miles. Luckily, almost all the ice and snow patches are gone from the park. Yay!
The run was slow though. Like my progressively slower splits? Ugh.
Distance: 5.0 | Start Temp: 17° | End Temp: 20° | Time: 51:17 | Avg Pace: 10:24 | 1: 10:10 | 2: 10:16 | 3: 10:23 | 4: 10:29 | 5: 10:39
Week Summary: 16.0 miles
There’s no denying it – this was a week of junk miles. My running has not been very good. I blame it on me and my lack of discipline. I haven’t been eating well, and my mind hasn’t been in the game. I think I might have to change my plan for the winter and focus on just getting the miles in, and maintain endurance rather than distance. That is not the plan I was hoping for, but I need to be flexible and realistic!
And I am still not 100% over this cold. What. The. Eff?! Wah!
I noticed that the battery in our garmin watch dies when we let it sit for long, and it has data on it that hasn’t been downloaded yet. Does that happen to anyone else? When there is no data on it, the battery lasts a long time. Maybe it’s searching for satellites or something?
Favorite actors
I want to be able to bend like that. ^^^
Steven and I saw Black Swan last night. I have always* had a crush on Natalie Portman, and will see any movie she’s in (either in the theater or on DVD), no matter how good (The Professional, V for Vendetta, Brothers) or bad (Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Garden State). Steven thinks it’s ridiculous that I would want to see a movie just because she is in it, but surely, I am not the only one who does that…
Do you ever see movies just because a certain actor is in it (or rather, does your interest to see a movie ever start because of a certain actor?)? Which actor?
The movie was very interesting and well done. I think it deserves all of the rave reviews it’s getting. It tells the dark story of Nina Sayers, who wants to be the perfect ballerina, but struggles with her inner demons and obsessive personality. Actually, there are many parallels to her ballet career and my running career – we both strive to be perfect, the best!
Ha! I am totally kidding! Big time!
Anyway, everyone has very different taste in movies, but I wanted to say that I enjoyed this one. It made me want to go to the ballet (never been). And I had to appreciate the work that went in to the movie. Portman took ballet until she was in her early teens (I think) then started practicing for this movie a year in advance. Portman and Mila Kunis both lost about 20 pounds each to play these roles.
Speaking of weight, did you see that blurb this week about New York City Ballet dancer Jenifer Ringer? A New York Times critic wrote a review of her work as the Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker,” saying she “looked as if she’d eaten one sugar plum too many.” The remark is very interesting, considering she looks extremely slim to me. The Today Show did an interview with Ringer, and I think she is very well posed:
The original blurb I read is here.
I normally don’t talk about weight/size/etc., but wow, I have to say, Ringer does not look plump to me at all. Of course, I know NOTHING about ballet.
Before she played Queen Amidala in Star Wars.
Fitness Forecast
I was checking the 10-day forecast on weather.com and noticed their “Fitness Comfort” scale, and that is listed a number next to each day of the week. I haven’t seen this before.
Um… apparently it is going to be “Uncomfortable” to work out all week in Round Lake? I was thinking Tuesday looked pretty good!
I decided to search another zip code to see where I need to be for it to be comfortable.
The ratings are high for Phoenix, but that seems too hot for me!
I guess it’s all relative?
Relative to how crazy you are?
Where do you check the weather?
Friday Question #140
What’s on the top of your holiday wishlist?
Since I told you how much I love giving gifts, I can tell you what is on my wish list, right?
It’s the same thing every year (just sometimes a different model) – running shoes:
This year it’s the Gel Cumulus 12, size 12 (a pair, not just one as shown above).
I make a super long wishlist so people have lots of items to choose from*, but running shoes are always the first thing I list! Followed by other running and fitness items, DVDs, books, games, clothes, jewelry and A NEW PILLOW AND STOCKING HAT**.
I would really love to hear what you put at the top of your wishlist, as your #1 item! Especially from my family and other people who don’t normally comment…
*I know that sounds snotty and greedy, but people request a list from me, so I try to put a lot of different things on it, so they don’t feel like I am just saying “go buy me this one specific thing.” Then they can pick and choose or just get ideas from the list.
**Steven, I put that capitalized part in there for you. As a joke.
Data likes dirty sheets
Data slept in his room last night:
I guess Data likes dirty sheets!
(the laundry room – his room because his food and litter box is there).
It’s like the equivalent of your spouse sleeping on the couch. Data always sleeps with us at night, so something must be wrong.
Possible theories:
- Is he upset he hasn’t received his holiday gift yet?
- Is he upset that we don’t know who will take care of him over the holidays? Oh, how I miss our close neighbor friends who used to check in on him each day while we traveled.
- Is he upset at Steven? This is what Steven thinks. During the day, Data constantly steals Steven’s (preferred) seat on the couch when Steven gets up. It’s funny when I am there to witness it. Steven will get up to fill up his water bottle (or some other quick task) and Data immediately gets up and curls up into a ball on Steven’s seat. Ha. Anyway, Steven thinks Data is upset that Steven makes him leave his seat on the couch. The other day, after Steven made Data get up, Data spent the rest of the day upstairs, away from Steven.
- Or maybe it’s just warmer in the laundry room? That is where the furnace is.
Just kidding – that’s not it (but after getting some weird email about a discount to buy that cat hammock, I DO want to buy it). We got him his favorite toys – mice:
Complete with nice long tails for him to eat.
Steven sitting on Data because he won’t share the seat (“he” could refer to either of them).
Do you feel guilty for leaving your pet behind when you travel? Or do you bring your pet with?
I feel extremely guilty for leaving Data, especially on holidays (like he knows what they are or something!). And I even think he enjoys being alone and sometimes needs the “break” from us. Still, I always miss him and feel bad.
I wanted to tell you guys a story and ask what you think.
On Tuesday morning when I got to the elevator lobby of my building, someone was walking in to the last elevator. I pressed the elevator “call button” and it kept that last elevator door open for me. However, as I got to it, it started to close, so I stuck my bag in it. My bag got STUCK in the elevator door. I thought the person inside the elevator would press the “door open” button, but he didn’t, so I had to pull my bag out and go press the “call elevator” button again, and wait for another elevator.
Was he being rude by not opening the elevator door for me, or was I being rude my sticking my bag in the door?
I HATE riding the elevator with a ton of people and waiting for it to stop on 23098098 floors. I am a brat like that. However, I think I would open the door for someone if their bag was stuck in the door!
Hi! I’m Kim, a 40-something-year-old living in northeastern Illinois with my husband Steven, and our cats, Khaleesi, Apollo, Starbuck, and Eddard aka Ned. My current main hobbies are running, painting rocks, flying, reading, and eating. I follow a vegan lifestyle and work in an account management role. I write about a variety of topics and consider this a “life” blog – a place I can share anything that’s on my mind. Please visit the “About” page to get a better idea of who I am! 🙂
